1.
Consider whether you have the resources at present to provide recorded or live streamed content – parishes which do not wish to take on broadcasting are free to encourage and help parishioners to watch or listen to services provided by others;

2.
Consider carefully whether recording for uploading at a later time or live streaming
is the best approach – recording gives an opportunity for speakers (with advice from others where appropriate) to check and edit content before sharing this more widely;

3.
Consider whether advertising will be displayed when your service is broadcast on a social media channel;

4.
Ensure that you have a streaminglicence – if you are broadcasting a service on a social media channel – and an onlinemusic licence if you are hosting the stream on your church website;

5.
Consult and follow the Church’s guidance on safeguarding and data protection.

All child and adult safeguarding policies apply online in the same way in which they apply in everyday life.

There is a particular need to protect young people from harm at this time due to the increased use of online technology across the society. The Church of Ireland’s Safeguarding Board has adopted guidelines for video conferencing with young people, which are available at these links – Northern Ireland/ Republic of Ireland – and emphasise:

– You must have approval from the relevant parish authorities before proceeding with video conferencing;

– You need full parental consent and must use the email address of a carer or parent to send an invite to a virtual meeting;

– Do
not record virtual meetings with young people.

For any social media content which features children and young people, the following key principles must be observed:

– Parental permission
should be fully informed regarding the possible long–term nature of a
video being online and the platforms on which it would be available;

– There must be no
detail that can identify children (which can, for example, include names
on walls or birthday cards in the background);

– Any contributed content
featuring a child should be sent by using a parental account, and should
be produced by parents in a general room in the house;

– Where
content has been produced as part of a professional role with the Church,
this should be shared on a social media account operated by the relevant
parish, cathedral or diocese and not by any individual, whether they are
in a professional role or not.

Data breaches are more likely to occur in crises, in which we may need to respond more rapidly than usual to a situation or change how we work. Please visit the
data protection page in Parish Resources for help with this
responsibility,
including a seven–step Data Protection Impact Assessment for recording
devices:
www.ireland.anglican.org/gdpr